Sprint rounds out CES 2019 with 5G call

Sprint has announced completing a world-first 5G data call across 2.5GHz spectrum on a live commercial network in partnership with Nokia and Qualcomm, which it said moves 5G from the lab to the real world ahead of a first-half 2019 launch. The trial, which took place in San Diego, made use of Massive Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (Massive MIMO) technology, Nokia's dual-mode AirScale Massive MIMO radio, and a smartphone powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon X50 5G modem and antenna modules with integrated RF transceiver, RF front-end, and antenna elements. Sprint was able to stream YouTube videos, conduct Skype audio and video calls, and send and receive instant messages during the test. "This is a big step forward; Sprint 5G is now out of the lab and in the field as we prepare for our commercial launch in the first half of this year," Sprint CTO Dr John Saw said. Nokia North America CTO Mike Murphy added that by using 2.5GHz for 5G, Sprint's existing nationwide mobile sites can be reused, which also provide indoor coverage.